The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (more commonly “the United Kingdom,” “the UK,” “Great Britain,” or simply “Britain”) was the principal power of the Allies in World War II. In 1939, the UK honored its guarantees to Poland by declaring war on Germany. After the fall of France, the United Kingdom was the only Allied nation left in Europe until Italy's surprise invasion of Greece led the Greeks to fully join the Allies. It remained the only one of the “Big Three” (Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and the United States) in the war until 1941 when Germany invaded the Soviet Union. The United Kingdom was heavily engaged in the Western European, Atlantic, Mediterranean, African, and Southeast Asian theaters.

The British national focus tree can be divided into 5 main branches and 6 distinct sub-branches:

Cryptologic Bomb/Limited Rearmament Branch

This branch gives technology research bonuses, factories and an extra research slot.

General Rearmament Sub-branch

This sub-branch gives air and naval research bonuses along with providing a collection of air bases and dockyards.

Reinforce the Empire Branch

This branch is centered around the industrial development of the colonies and the fortification of key territories, with the ultimate end goal of creating an Imperial Federation, which will have the United Kingdom annex all the colonies and gain cores on their territories.

Encourage Colonial Elite Sub-branch

The "Fortify East Asia" side of the sub-branch focuses on developing in Asian colonies, influencing China and gaining a war goal against Japan. The "Commonwealth Ties" side focuses on developing the Dominions, Autonomy or Independence for the British Raj and forming the Imperial Federation.

Mediterranean Bastion Sub-branch

This Sub-branch focuses on the development of the Mediterranean colonies, Coercion of Balkan countries and Turkey, and gaining a war goal against Italy.

Revisit Colonial Policy Branch

This Branch focuses on decolonization, which effectively amounts to dismantling the entire British Empire in exchange for getting more manpower industry in the British homelands, and allowing the UK to concentrate on dealing with European affairs. It requires Man the Guns.

Steady As She Goes Branch

The Democratic branch of the Focus tree. The UK will stay democratic and maintain the current government structure.

Global Defense Sub-branch

This Democratic sub-branch focuses on placing Winston Churchill into power early, ending appeasement, eradicating pacifism and mobilizing the country for war followed by gaining war goals against countries with oil, Major European countries who caused World tension, and allowing justification against other Democratic countries. It requires Man the Guns.

Home Defense Sub-branch

This Democratic sub-branch focuses on intervening against (and puppeting) the Scandinavian and Benelux Countries, securing Iraq and Iran, and eventually war with the Soviet Union and Germany.

A Change in Course Branch

This branch focuses on changing the government structure of the UK by switching the ideology of the government to Monarchist, Fascist or Communist.

The Monarchist focuses on placing King Edward VIII as the leader of the country, effectively creating an Absolute monarchy, and allying with Germany and gaining war goals against Italy and the Soviet Union. This path also allows the United Kingdom to gain a war goal against the United States to conquer them and reinstate British rule by installing an american monarchy.

The Fascist section focuses on securing alliances with other European fascist nations against Germany. The "God Save The King" section is shared with the two ideologies focuses on retaking the Dominions after they gain independence and gain a war goal against the United States. It requires Man the Guns.

Concessions to the Trade Unions Sub-branch

The Communist sub-branch will cause the United Kingdom to become communist and opens up the option between allying with the Soviet Union or forming an own alliance and then moving on to turn other European nations to communism, with the end goal of going to war with Germany and the United States to puppet said countries. It also forces the United Kingdom take the decolonization focus and complete it within 2 years of becoming communist as otherwise a civil war will break out. It requires Man the Guns.

We have signed the London Naval Treaty and accordingly are restricted in the size of our capital ships.

British Stoicism

Ideology drift defense: +50%

Can create factions

If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you, if you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two impostors just the same. Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, and - which is more - you'll be a man, my son.

The War to End All Wars

Recruitable Population Factor: -25%

With the Great War in recent memory, both the nation's people and leaders are reluctant to send another generation to die in the trenches.

King George V

Popular FigureheadStability: 15%

Rallying around the King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, as well as Emperor of India, the British people stand united and proud of their imperial legacy.

UK starts 1936 as a democracy, with elections every four years, with the next one in 1940. The ruling party is the Conservative Party led by Stanley Baldwin.

The UK has no National Focus that allows it to change ideology without Man the Guns; Only fascist or communist Political Advisors could reverse the ideology. With Man the Guns, the Change in Course branch grants focuses to change the ideology to Non-Aligned, Fascist, or Communist. The AI controlling other countries can attempt to promote other ideologies. Because of the UK's National Spirit British Stoicism this will be much slower than normal as it grants Ideology drift defense: +50%.

The Commonwealth
The United Kingdom maintained close ties with the Commonwealth countries of Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. These countries were formerly part of the British Empire, but are now independent. They have their own governments, economies and armed forces and the UK player cannot control these unless they provide an expeditionary force to the UK. But they start the game as members of the Allies faction, led by the UK. Certain UK focus choices affect them (e.g., construction of factories).

NOTE: With the Together For Victory DLC, all the Commonwealth Realms are British subjects to various degrees.

Puppets
Their colony of India has some local autonomy. It is represented in the game as a puppet called British Raj. It is possible for the UK to release British Raj as an independent country. With the "Together For Victory" DLC active, it is represented as a Colony, more autonomous than a puppet.

Colonies
The UK starts with with direct control over many colonies across the world. These include the strategic locations of Gibraltar and the Suez Canal and the rich colonies in Malaya Singapore.

The Allies
The UK is leader of the faction called the Allies. The faction's starting members are the Commonwealth countries (Canada, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand) and the British Raj and British Malaya. It's the most powerful faction in the game in the start.
The UK has very friendly relations with France, but the latter isn't a member of the Allies in start, nor is the United States. France normally joins the faction early in the game, but it might not — its National Focuses could steer it elsewhere. The U.S. normally joins the Allies later, but it can also form its own faction.

This section may contain outdated information that is inaccurate for the current version of the game. The last version it was verified as up to date for was 1.1.

United Kingdoms economy in 1936 has good access to all resources except oil which is easily accessible through trade for the UK as its mostly in the hands of democracies. There is also plenty of territory for construction of new factories with 110 free slots. Many resources come from the far reaches of the United Kingdom by convoys, so ensuring that the Royal Navy has superiority along the trade routes is of importance to ensure that these make their way to Britain.

This section may contain outdated information that is inaccurate for the current version of the game. The last version it was verified as up to date for was 1.1.

The United Kingdom starts with a world-dominating fleet across the globe, and a sizable air force. Its army nevertheless, is stretched thin because of the Empire's extent. The nation is almost depleted of manpower at the start of the game and juggling this is a major concern. Careful planning should be used for the 59,000 manpower pool; newly made ships and planes will require their part of manpower for crewing. Though manpower demands for the army's preparations for coming war are pressing, they're not urgent for Britain by 1936 and could wait for a while.

Army

Type

No.

Infantry

32

Cavalry

3

Light tank

1

Total divisions

36

Navy

Type

No.

Destroyer

128

Light cruiser

30

Heavy cruiser

16

Battlecruiser

3

Battleship

12

Submarine

42

Carrier

4

Total ships

235

Air Force

Type

No.

Close air support

304

Fighter

666

Naval bomber

126

Tactical bomber

240

Total planes

1336

Army

Most of the British Army's forces are concentrated in England, Wales, and Scotland, with the remainder in small garrison units around their colonies. The British isles are home to 16 infantry divisions, of which five are full-strength, regular-quality of 9 regiments each. The rest of the divisions are similar in size, but at a 'trained' level and with equipment shortages. They're coupled with two cavalry brigades and a light armor brigade. Overseas divisions are about 20 trained infantry brigades, made of four regiments that share a shortage of equipment. The British Army is expected to be hard pressed from the extent of territory that needs to be defended when war breaks out. The player will have to decide wisely how to split its originally limited divisions to defend the Empire and allied nations.

Navy

The Royal Navy is one of the largest in the globe by 1936, with the U.S. Navy on numerical par. The UK starts with all tier I ship techs and tier II destroyers, the G/H/I Class of which 9 are in construction on three production lines. There are also three heavily upgraded light cruisers, the Amphion Class under construction across three production lines. Two 'S Class' submarines are also under construction, though the O/P/R Class is more advanced.

Ship classes of the Royal Navy

Type

Class

Amount

In Production

Tech

CV

Courageous Class

4

Carrier I

BB

Nelson Class

2

Battleship I*

BB

Queen Elizabeth Class

5

Battleship I*

BB

Revenge Class

5

Battleship I

BC

Admiral Class

1

Battlecruiser I*

BC

Renown Class

2

Battlecruiser I

CA

County Class

13

Heavy Cruiser I*

CA

Hawkins Class

3

Heavy Cruiser I

CL

Amphion Class

2

3

Light Cruiser I*

CL

Emerald Class

7

Light Cruiser I*

CL

C Class

21

Light Cruiser I

DD

G/H/I Class

18

9

Destroyer II

DD

A/B/C/D Class

34

Destroyer I*

DD

V/W Class

76

Destroyer I

SS

O/P/R Class

21

Submarine I*

SS

S Class

9

2

Submarine I*

SS

L Class

12

Submarine I

Convoy

800

* marks a variant with increased base stats to symbolize ships that are not modern enough to warrant a full 1936 tech level but too modern to fit into the1922 tech level.

Air Force

The United Kingdom's Royal Air Force (or R.A.F) by 1936 is the largest air force in the globe, with a number 30% larger than the U.S.A.F., 50% than the Luftwaffe, and twice the size of the french Armée de l'air. There are 78 "Nimrods" and "Sharks" operating from the aircraft carriers, occupying about 75% of the available carrier capacity.